Beet loader



J. F. PASSA BEET LOADER Aug. 3, 1943.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 17 1941 J. F. PASSA BEET LOADER Aug. s, 1943.

Filed 001. 17,' 1941 v2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNITED *STATE e Patented Ang. 3, `1943 BEET LOADER John F. Passa, oslo, Minn., assignent 'Edward P. Passa, sloMinn.

`l Application october 17, 1941, serial Nn; 415,473

p 1 claim.v (c1. 19a- 9) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in beet loaders.

` One object of my invention is to provide a beet i loader with a spiral picker designed to pickup I the beets without any dirt. l

A further object of my invention is to` provide a beet loader with a spiral picker adapted to throw the beets upwardly and inwardly as it rotates toward the center of the carrier.

` AA still further object of my invention is to provide a hinged frame forlthe endless carrier and rier frame and carrier and the picker as well may be raised or lowered by the simple manipulation of ahand lever.

With the foregoing and other objects in view i that will appear as the` nature of my invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, whichare for illustrative purposes only and are therefore not drawn to scale:

Figure 1 is a plan view, illustrating the applica- ,I tion of my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,` and Figure 3 is a similar` rier and 6 the spiral picker. f

` In carrying out my invention,` the rear end of the carrier frame 4 is hinged to the upright brackets l carried by the side members 8 and 9 of the main frame and extends forwardly `and downwardly at `a suitable inclination. The `flexible carrier 5 works over thefront and rear sprocket wheels I0 and I I, carried `by the transverse shafts I 2 and I3, respectively, and is driven by power applied to one end of the shaft I3 through the coupling I'4.

Runners I5 are bolted or otherwise fastened tol the frontend of the carrier frame 4 and follow the surface of the ground at all times, whether smooth or irregular. The spiral picker B isrotatably mounted by means of its central transverse shaft IE between theoffset front end portions or terminals I1 of the side members of the I hinged carrier frame and is driven from one end of the shaft I2 by the sprockets I8 and I9 and endless sprocket chain 20. A pair of forwardly extending outwardly inclined shields 2I guide and direct the beets into the spiral picker. Said vshields are hinged at their inner lowercorners, as

at 22,` to the extreme front ends of the end por` tions I1 of the carrier frame in front of the spiral picker and are connected together by the cross bar 23, as shown.

My novel method of hinging the rear end of the carrier frame to the main frame permits the front end of the carrier and spiral pickerto follow the surface of the ground and the latter will pick up and deliver the beets on the front end of the carrier without picking up any dirt. This is a great advantage over pickers now generally in use which do not have any adjustability and hence, cannot compensate for irregularities in the surface of the ground, with the results that when the Wheels of the loader go into a hole or depression, the picker is lowered into the ground and picks updirt. On the other hand, if the wheels of the machine go over aA high place, the picker is elevated above the surface and either passes. entirely over the beets or cuts them as it I rotates.

The lower endof the carrier frame and carrier as well as the picker may be raised or lowered at will by the simple manipulation of a hand lever 24. This lever is carried bythe outer end of the horizontal rock shaft 25 journaledin the bearings 2B and 21 carried by the front cross bar 2B of the main frame I.

29, formed with the right-angularly disposed pin or extension 30, which works in the slotted link 3 I i The slotted link 3| is hinged at its lower end,

asat 32, to the top of the cross bar 33 of the inverted U-shaped member 34 connected at its ends, as at 35 ,to the front ends of the side members of the hinged carrier frame. The crank arm 29 is also provided with the depending ear 36 con-v nected by means of the chain 31 or other equivalent means to the cross bar 23.

` The inner or opposite end of i Athe rock shaft 25 is provided with a crank arm Particular attention is invited to' the fact that the spiral picker is composed of a series of spiral rods or wires 38,which are connected to the central shaft of the picker by the short radial spokes 3S. The special formation of the picker is such that it has a tendency to pick up and throw the beets toward and onto the center of the carrier.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation and advantages ofmy invention will be readily understood, without requiring a more'extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principles or sacricing any of the advantages of my invention, as

ydened in therappended claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a beet loader of the character specified, a main frame, supporting wheels for said frame, a carrier frame hinged at its rear end to said main frame and extending forwardly and downwardly at an inclination, an endless carrier mounted in the carrier frame, means for driving the endless carrier, runners fastened to the front end of the o carrier frame, a spiral gatherer rotatably mounted on the vcarrier frame in front of the carrier,

meansv for driving the gatherer.. from the front shaft of the carrier, adjustable shields hinged to the front end of the carrier frame and serving to guideand'clirect the beets vtoward the gatherer, and means for raising or lowering the front end of the carrier frame, the carrier and gatherer at will, the spiral gatherer, runners'and front end of the carrier adapted to follow the surface of ythe ground under all conditions.

JOHN F. PASSA. 

